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Holiday events ramping up
Are you ready?
Santa at Sunrise
SANTA AND THE GRINCH always seem to have a blast at Christ-mas Fun at Sunrise Or-chards. Not only can you visit with Santa from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., but you can enjoy a free lunch, and shop for all your holiday needs in the or-chard showroom and the Craft Fair going on at the same time.

With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror and our first taste of winter weather under our belt, it’s time to turn our attention to all the holiday events about to whirl us into their merry cycle. Our local area has lots of fun planned to help everyone get into the festive spirit. Here are a few of the things planned (we will update this as more events are announced):

• Friday, Dec. 5: The Prairie du Chien Holiday Parade, led by Santa and Mrs. Claus, will take place in the early evening, with parade entrants lining up on St. Feriole Island at 5 p.m. Immediately following the parade, children can enjoy pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Waterfront Hotel, along with holiday treats.

• Dec. 5, 6 and 7, and Dec. 12, 13 and 14: Villa Louis historic site, at 521 Villa Louis Road in Prairie du Chien, will host a holiday-inspired Christmas Tea and guided tour of the historic house, with historically dressed interpreters from 12 to 2 p.m. Advance registration is required.

• Saturday, Dec. 6: Mill House Lights holiday light display will kick off as usual with a grand opening parade. The parade will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, followed by the lighting up on the display.

• Saturday, Dec. 6: Sunrise Orchards will hold a Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at their main orchard location at 48340 Highway 171, Gays Mills.  Santa will visit the orchard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and there will be cookies, hot chocolate, apple cider, and cookie decorating. A free chili and pulled pork sandwich lunch will also be available.

• Saturday, Dec. 6: Apple Royalty Bingo Party at the Gays Mills Community Commerce Center 7 to 8:30 p.m.

• Friday/Saturday, Dec. 6 & 7 and 13 &14: Oppriecht Acres Christmas Tree Farm will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Saturday, Dec. 6: A ‘Breakfast with Santa’ will be offered at the Readstown Advancement Building, 208 West Center St, beginning at 8 a.m. The event will offer a hearty breakfast, hot coffee and cocoa, small goodie bags for kids, and festive holiday music. The event is hosted by Readstown EMS, Readstown Fire, and the Village of Readstown.

• Saturday, Dec. 6: Friends of Kickapoo Valley Reserve will offer their annual ‘Holiday Happening’ from 12-5 p.m., at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center. The event is a fundraiser for trail maintenance, habitat improvement, and education programs. Participants will be able to shop cookies and wreaths, and a soup, salad and bread lunch concession will be available. There will be live music, and the winners of the KVR photo contest will be announced at 5 p.m.

• Saturday, Dec. 6: Crossing Rivers Health at 37868 US Hwy 18 in Prairie du Chien will offer a ‘Christmas Right Here and Livin’ Well event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Attendees will enjoy health and wellness activities, vendors, treats, holiday shopping and more.

• Wednesday, Dec. 10: North Crawford Winter Holiday Concerts will kick off with MS Chorus and Band at 6:30 p.m., and HS Chorus and Band at 7:30 p.m. Grades 3-5 will perform on Dec. 12, at 2 p.m., and Grades 4K-2 on Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets will be sold for a basket raffle fundraiser for the North Crawford Band Program, and ticket holders need not be present to win.

• Friday, Dec. 12: Gays Mills Connect Communities Holiday Sip & Shop: will take place in the Gays Mills Mercantile Center from 7-8:30 p.m. The festive evening will offer shoppers holiday specials, and businesses will offer tastings of various beverages with light nibbles. Participants will also receive a passport which they can have stamped at each of the businesses, and when completed, will qualify them to enter in a $50 prize drawing. There will be live music in the common area of the building as well.

• Saturday, Dec. 13: North Crawford FFA Alumni and Supporters will hold a Meat Raffle fundraiser at Halver’s Town Tap, starting at 2 p.m.

• Sunday, Dec. 14: North Crawford School District will offer their annual ‘North Pole Breakfast with Santa and his Elves,’ from 8-11 a.m. Participants will enjoy a delicious breakfast of pancakes with toppings and sausage links, fun games, festive crafts, a bake sale, and a special visit from Santa. Photos with Santa will take place from 8:30-10:30 a.m. – participants should bring their own camera. The event is a fundraiser for the senior class trip and a free will offering is asked.

• Sunday, Dec. 14: Vernon County Museum’s Holiday History Tour will feature five historic buildings in and around Viroqua.  The tour will be held from 12:30-4 p.m.  Start at the Vernon County Museum and History Center to enjoy holiday treats, tour the exhibits (now in heated comfort), and purchase tickets. Other stops on the tour include two schoolhouses, both the Colonel May School on Highway 56 west of Viroqua, and the Foreaker School, at 606 W. Broadway. The final two stops are the historic St. Mary’s Church, located next to the Foreaker School, and the Sherry-Butt House at 795 N. Main Street.  The church will feature live holiday music all afternoon, with different musicians playing each half-hour from 1-3 p.m.  It will also be the site of their popular hot chocolate bar.

• Sunday, Dec. 14: The Old Oak Inn located at 500 Church St. in Soldiers Grove will offer a ‘Christmas Concert in the Parlor’ from Barry and Sherri, starting at 6 p.m. The event will offer traditional Christmas music and seasonal songs on the Celtic harp, guitar, the antique upright grand piano and the upright bass.

• Monday, Dec. 15: This is the deadline to enter the ‘Gays Mills Holiday Lighting Contest.’ For homes located within the Village of Gays Mills, participants will have the chance to win prizes, to be announced on December 23. To enter, e-mail Amy Matthews with your name and address at amatthews@c21affiliated.com.

• Monday, Dec. 15: the Seneca School District will offer a K-5 Winter Concert, from 2-3 p.m., and a Band Concert, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 7-8 p.m.

• Saturday, Dec. 20: Driftless Curiosity at Keewaydin Farms, 15270 Haucke Ln, in rural Viola will hold a Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 20, from 12-6 p.m. The event will offer Solstice Crafts including winter wreaths and Yule logs, a Solstice Spiral, cross-country skiing, and a Community Yule Altar – bring a symbol of winter to place on the altar.

• Sunday, Dec. 21: The public is invited to Frank’s Hill in southern Richland County on the shortest of day of the year. The setting sun will be viewed from a small knoll peppered with effigy mounds in southern Richland County. The property is located on Highway 193 just off Highway 60, a few miles west of Muscoda. Weather permitting, area residents are invited to join the festivities and remember events of the past year. A moment of silence will be observed for those who have passed away since the last trip around the sun.  Following the sunset, attendees are welcome to gather around the campfire to share stories and learn more about Frank’s Hill, considered a sacred site by the Ho-Chunk Nation and other Native American peoples.  The event is sponsored by the Three Eagles Foundation.